Challenged in the closing laps by the Sioux Falls Ford No. 13, Mark Dobmeier ran the cushion to pull even with Swindell.

“When you’re out front, you don’t really know,” said Swindell. “They said Brown was running the bottom pretty good and I made some good runs there but I was just kind of conserving my tires there early and watching Dobmeier so as long as I could keep pace with him, I wasn’t too worried.”

Chasing Dobmeier the first eight rounds, Swindell shot from fourth to the runner up spot on the second lap. Working the low groove on the Knoxville Raceway, Swindell took the lead on the ninth round; following a restart after Alan Ambers and Jack Dover made hard contact in turns one and two. Ambers was taken to the hospital for observation.

Slowed for the final time with six laps to run, Dobmeier stayed committed to the cushion with the battle side by side going into the final two laps, but giving Swindell too much room is all it took for the Big Game Tree Stands No. 1s to take the line and the win.

“We were running at a blistering pace at the front there but had those yellow flags to bunch us up. I think I still had a faster car. I was able to come around the top and show him, and I think I could have done it earlier, but wanted to wait until I had a spot where I could just get it, and keep it, but I showed him a little too soon and he took my line away,” said Dobmeier.

Brian Brown came to third from eighth. Changing gears under the lap-eight red flag, Brown was happy but felt he had a problem with tires on the restart.

“It was really like my right-rear tire just didn’t go after that red and when those guy started moving around out there and kind of showed Sammy where to go on the track,” Brown said. “I just ended up running third so we’ll figure it out and hopefully come back tomorrow and get a couple spots better.”